One piece of the puzzle already found its place in BYU. For weeks, Kalani Sitake kept fans in suspense with who the starting QB would be in 2025. And he didn’t flinch, not even after Jake Retzlaff bolted to Tulane mid-July with a seven-game honor code suspension hanging over his head. The Cougars were suddenly without their proven man and a roster full of hopefuls were lining up for that big role. Then came Wednesday.

Kalani Sitake finally dropped the headline. True freshman Bear Bachmeier is BYU’s QB1. Not only that, he’ll be the first true freshman in school history to start a season opener when the Cougars host Portland State on August 30. So when the HC met with the media on August 19 as posted by BYU Cougars, it started with the obvious. “Why did you choose Bear Bachmeier as a starting quarterback?” The answer was quick and direct. “We settled it on the field,” he said. “We feel like that’s the best move and what we’ve seen in camp so far and all the practices, he gives us the best chance right now.” But what’s the hype with this QB?

Bear Bachmeier isn’t your average greenhorn QB tossed into the fire. He’s a Murrieta, California product with football bloodlines. His brother Tiger, a Stanford transfer, will be catching passes in Provo after posting 476 yards over two seasons in Palo Alto. Oldest brother Hank spent six years as a college QB, closing his career at Wake Forest in 2024 after stints at Boise State and Louisiana Tech.

That means Bear Bachmeier grew up in a QB lab rather than simply throwing footballs. In high school, he racked up 6,810 passing yards, 59 touchdowns, plus another 1,724 rushing yards and 33 scores. And if you thought his game was eye-catching, so is his jersey number ie. 47. The true freshman announced it on social media using an AI version of a bear. 

Still, that alone won’t replace Jake Retzlaff’s 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns from last season. BYU finished 11-2 and was inches from the Big 12 title game. Now they’re handing the keys of that machine to a 19-year-old rookie. But Kalani Sitake made it clear that he believes his new QB is ready now. And as if choosing a true freshman QB wasn’t enough drama, the HC also had to address a brand-new change in the Big 12 rulebook.

Kalani Sitake on Big 12’s new rule

The Big 12 announced Wednesday it will begin publishing player availability reports for football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball starting in 2025-26. Teams will be required to submit daily football reports three days before conference games, with final updates due 90 minutes before kickoff. Basketball coaches will face a similar obligation, turning in reports the night before each league matchup.

That means BYU joins the ranks of the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC in adopting pro-style transparency. Like the NFL, Big 12 teams will now tag players as “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful,” or “out.” On the basketball side, it’s “available,” “game-time decision,” or “out” straight out of the NBA handbook. The Big Ten was the first power conference to roll this out in 2023, the SEC followed in 2024, and now the Big 12 is on board.

A reporter tossed in a curveball about how Utah’s Kyle Whittingham might not publish a depth chart under the Big 12’s new health and injury disclosure rule. Would Kalani Sitake go that far? “We’ll probably have a depth chart. We’ll see,” he said instead. “I think you kind of can figure it out. You guys see what’s going on here when we let you guys watch our film, watch our practices. You kind of have a feel for who’s going to be on the field. But yeah, I don’t mind putting a depth chart out.” In other words, no gimmicks or smoke screens. BYU’s fine with the new reality. What you see on Saturday is what you’ll get.